Newswise — Palo Alto, CA – During Mental Health Awareness Month Palo Alto University (PAU), dedicated to psychology and counseling, is convening a panel of child psychologists to examine and discuss approaches to mitigating the children’s mental health crisis that is impacting children and families nationwide.
The discussion will be presented live on-line, on May 17th at 11 a.m. (PST). It is free and open to the public. Registration for the event can be found at: https://www.paloaltou.edu/events/mitigating-crisis-childrens-mental-health or register here.
Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine, recommended that children between the ages of 8 and 18 be screened for anxiety. This call to action follows the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) sounding the alarm on a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health.
“Palo Alto University addresses society’s most pressing and emerging mental health issues through research and training in psychology and counseling,” says PAU President Maureen O’Connor. “During Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite the public to join us in this important discussion as it relates to the mental health and well-being of children and families.”
About the panelists:
Jennifer Paternostro, PhD (she/her/hers) is a pediatric psychologist in Iowa City, IA. She is clinical faculty at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital specializing in the assessment and treatment of youth with chronic medical conditions using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework. Dr. Paternostro also is a co-editor with Dr. Robert Friedberg on their book titled “Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Medical Conditions.” Dr. Paternostro is a graduate of PAU's PhD in Clinical Psychology program. Erica Rozmid, PhD, ACT, is a Los Angeles-based Clinical Psychologist practicing in California, Colorado, and Rhode Island. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and adults using: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Exposure Therapy. Dr. Rozmid is a graduate of PAU's PhD in Clinical Psychology program.
Micaela Thordarson, PhD, is a clinical child psychologist and the program supervisor for a DBT intensive outpatient program at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in Orange, CA. Dr. Thordarson is a graduate of PAU's PhD in Clinical Psychology program
Michael Tompkins, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and board-certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, and is the author of Zero to 60: A Teen’s Guide to Manage Frustration, Anger and Everyday Irritations.
About the Moderator
Robert Friedberg, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist focusing on children, adolescents, and families. He is recognized as one of the leading experts in applying Aaron T. Beck’s model of cognitive therapy to children. Beck's approach is considered the gold standard psychosocial intervention for a variety of psychiatric conditions. Friedberg is Board Certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Clinical Child Psychology, Div.53) and the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He is the author of twelve books and numerous scholarly articles.
About Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university located in the heart of Northern California’s Silicon Valley, is dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of today’s diverse society. PAU offers undergraduate and graduate programs that are led by faculty who make significant contributions to in their field. Online, hybrid and residential program options are available.
PAU was founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and re-incorporated as Palo Alto University in August 2009. PAU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). PAU’s doctoral programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and its master’s in counseling programs by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
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